SEND Information Report
SEND Information Report
What does this look like at Whitefield Primary Academy?
At Whitefield Primary Academy we believe in achievement, ambition and progress for all children.
We aim to meet the needs of individual children through quality first teaching and learning.
There is an emphasis on early identification of needs through supportive and preventative strategies which reduce barriers to learning.
We work in a flexible way to develop effective partnerships with children and their parents/carers the class teacher, specialist teaching staff and the inclusion manager both within the school and external professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and child and adolescent health services (CAMHS) to ensure that the school can meet a broad range of special educational needs.
We undertake a rigorous system of monitoring children’s progress, supporting academic achievement and personal achievement by removing barriers to learning and use a wide range of strategies to foster a culture of lifelong learning and independent living skills for all children.
How does the school identify and organise support for children with special educational needs?
- Identify need as early as possible and provide effective support and listen to parents’ concerns.
- Adopt a whole school approach to the identification, assessment and provision for children with special educational needs.
- View our special needs provision as an ongoing, developing process.
- Provide appropriate in-class support which enables all children to have access to the whole curriculum.
- Incorporate special educational needs procedures including individual education plans (IEPs) into curriculum planning.
- Encourage children and parents/carers to participate in decision-making about provision to meet their child’s special educational needs.
- Ensure that assessment and record-keeping systems provide adequate means of recording attainment and achievement and give sufficient information for carefully planned progression at every stage.
Please refer to our SEND Policy for further details.
Who are the key people in the school available to discuss parental/carers concerns about their child’s difficulties?
- Class Teacher
- Phase Leader
- Assistant Headteacher; Inclusion Manager
- Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher
We are able to support children with a wide range of needs:
- Communication and interaction needs
- Cognition and learning needs
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulty
- Sensory and/or physical need
How will parents/carers be informed about a child’s progress within the setting and how will his/her progress be measured?
- Progress of your child will be communicated through parent’s evenings, school reports, individual educational plans, annual review meetings for children who have an EHCP. Parents are always welcome to discuss their child’s progress at any time in the year as long as an appointment with the class teacher is made.
- The Inclusion Manager will oversee the educational plan for children with special needs and/or disability.
What support will parents/carers receive if their child has been identified as having special educational needs?
1. Parents will receive support from the Inclusion Manager to discuss any issues or queries they may have.
2. Pastoral Team support; The family workers will be able to provide support for parents/carers. Rainbow Team will provide support for vulnerable children and pastoral care.
3. Support with working with individual educational plans.
Planning support for a child with SEND will:
- Involve the teacher carefully assessing the child’s learning and development and progress, planning the next steps, putting support in place and then reviewing progress as they are responsible for managing the children’s support
- In some cases involve the Inclusion Manager to support decision making and to help coordinate support
- In some cases require support to be added to by requesting outside agency advice
- Involve the parents/carers as their knowledge and views are invaluable
- All necessary information about your child, including details of any extra support, is passed on to the new teacher and the staff will work in collaboration at transition times. This includes working closely with High Schools as the children prepare to move to KS3.
What support is offered to ensure the wellbeing of children with special educational needs and disabilities?
1. Pastoral support is provided by the Rainbow Team and the Family Workers provide support for parents and carers.
2. Support is available for the administering of medication for children who are on a care plan and have parental consent to administer certain medication to children.
3. Children’s views are taken into account through review of IEPs, through pupil voice and school council.
4. Bullying is not tolerated, rigorous school policy is in place.
How will teaching be adapted to support the child with special educational needs?
Adaptive teaching to ensure children are able to access the curriculum.
1. Resources such as IT, visual, tactile are available to enrich learning for all children.
2. Reports from outside professionals such as speech and language, educational psychologist and learning support advisor are used to help with next steps for children children’s learning. Targets from these reports are incorporated into individual education plans. Reports from outside professionals are all shared with parents.
3. Children’s progress is measured through information at the annual reviews. IEP meetings (discussed at parent’s evenings) report, review of advice.
What different types of support can the child receive in school? (e.g. small group or individual)
- Depending on the need of the child school support may be provided via small group support or individual support in some cases. This depends on staff availability.
- Support can also be provided through appropriate interventions depending on the need of the child.
- Adapted or additional resources in the classroom, including IT. Additional or different aids to encourage independence, such as writing slopes, special handwriting pencils, pencil grips or magnifier domes for children with visual impairment needs.
- Family workers also support children and parents through play and stay activities, working with parents closely, and conduct home visits.
- Rainbow Team provide support working with children who are vulnerable.
- External agencies can also provide support for children and parents.
How will the school support your child in unstructured times such as lunchtimes and playtimes and enable her/him to have access to after-school clubs, school trips and journeys?
1. Lunchtime clubs are available for children to access.
2. After-school clubs are organised by members of staff which children of all abilities are able to access and receive support.
3. Rainbow Team have a timetable for delivering support throughout each school day
4. A range of additional support staff can attend school trips.
How does the school involve children in decisions that affect them?
- Targets on IEPs are shared and reviewed with children each term.
- Children are involved in annual review meetings for those who have Education Health Care Plans.
- Views of SEND pupils are fed into the school council.
- Education Health Care Plans incorporate children’s views. This is a vital part of the process.
How are the school's resources allocated to support children/young people with SEND?
1. SEND provision is monitored by the Inclusion Manager, Headteacher and the Governor of SEND.
2. Progress of SEND pupils is monitored by the Inclusion Manager, Headteacher and the school governing body.
3. Funding for SEND is provided on individual and group basis depending on the needs of the children.
Many of our teachers have experience of working with a range of special needs and there is an ongoing programme of training. Lessons are planned with high quality teaching and adaptive teaching at the forfront, and pupils are able to access targeted interventions such as literacy skills lessons and ability grouping in class.
What services external to the school can provide support to children with SEN?
There are many external agencies the school works with such as: Educational Psychologists, Edwin Lobo Centre, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services – CAMHS, Behaviour Support Service, Learning Support Service, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapists, School Nurse, Lady Zia Werner outreach team, and the Special Educational Needs Support Team. These services are accessed through school or medical referrals.
How will the setting support the child in moving on to another school or to the next key stage in their education?
- Transition meetings are carried out for pupils entering high school. Children visit their new school on several occasions and also attend some lessons.
- Children with education health care plans have transition meetings with parents/ carers, child, Inclusion Manager and a representative from the new school. The child’s needs are discussed to ensure a smooth transition into their new school. A transition plan is put in place.
- Home visits are also carried out by the family workers for all new children attending nursery.
How accessible is the school environment?
1. The building is wheelchair friendly in parts. Ramps have been put in some areas. The building would be adjusted depending on the needs of the children.
2. There are separate disabled changing and toileting facilities available in the school. Also facilities for storing a wheelchair or equipment is available.
3. Staff in school have supported parents/carers whose first language is not English with translating.
4. Separate medical room for enteral feeding.
5. Fully accessible playgrounds.
6. All classroom are on ground level.
Who can parents/carers contact for further information at the school?
1. If parents want to discuss concerns about their child then the class teacher would be the first point of contact.
2. The Inclusion Manager would be able to discuss any concerns parents may have with special educational needs and/or disability.
3. Parents will be able to find the Luton Offer on the Luton Borough Council website and a link to Luton Local Offer.
Contact
Mrs L Adams, Assistant Headteacher: Inclusion Manager